An offer the PA can and will refuse

Renaud Lavoie of RDS is reporting details of the NHL’s initial offer to the Players Association.

Fearless prediction: It ain’t gonna fly.

Now the fun begins …

Lavoie, on Twitter, writes the league is proposing:

• The players’ share of revenues drops from 57 per cent to 46 per cent of hockey-related revenues. The NHL also wants to redefine, and thereby reduce, HRR. What it boils don to is a 20 per cent salary cut for every player in the league.

• 10 seasons in the league before a player can become an Unrestricted Free Agent. It’s currently seven.

• Entry-level contracts run five years, up from three.

• Contracts are limited to five years. There is currently no limit.

• No salary arbitration.

This is, of course, ludicrous.

And because Donald Fehr’s mother didn’t raise any idiots, the executive director of the NHLPA will laugh off this absurdly lowball offer before serious negotiation begins.

Bruce Arthur of the National Post is not optimistic.

Arthur tweets: What that @RenLavoieRDS report basically means is that unless the NHL is bluffing its ass off, we’re heading for a lockout.

The NBA went from players getting 57% of revenues to about 50%. The NFL went from 53 to 48. Both required lockouts. Settle in.

So what will you be watching on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights this October … and November … and December …?